Means for regulating electric circuits.



H. LEITNER. MEANS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1907.

Patnted Dec. 22, 1908.

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H. LEITNER. MEANS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OIRGULTS,

APPLICATION FILED MAR.12, 19 07.

"Batented Dec. 22, 1908;

s sums-SHEET 2v Q A Q mg I E E Q H, LEITNER. MEANS FOR REGULATING BLEOTRIO GIROUITS. Arum-Anonnmm MAR. 12, 1907'.

907,380. Patented. Dec. 22, 1908.

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l'l/ziizesses: 9 A4 7?, 6. 73444 Ill) dated Jan. 5, 1905, Serial No. 239,791.

UNITED sirn rns PATENT onnron HENRY LEITNER, OF WOKI'NG, ENGLAND.

MEANS son REG LATING- ELECTRIC crizoUI'rs Specification of Letters Patent Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

Application filed March 12, 1907. Serial No. 361,895.

: upon the means of regulating the circuits described in the specification of a prior appli cation for Letters Patent of the United States filed by myselfand Richard N. Lucas In the said former specification there isdescribed an automatic regulator comprising a rheostat which is designed to introduce resistance -in the lighting circuit in order to compensate for variations in the voltage of the battery so that the voltage across the lamps is maintained approximately constant. The rheostat resistances are intro duced into, and withdrawn from, the lamp circuit by means of the rheostat arm which is rotated by an electro-motor controlled by a relay energized from a volt-meter control in parallel with the lamps and having a re-- sistance in series with it. The rheostat is also provided with a series of resistances which are included in the shunt field of the dynamo and have for their object to reduce and ultimately suppress the field of the dynamo so as to prevent the overcharging of the battery, these resistai'ices being out in and out by a trigger-switch operated by the rheostat arm and also serving to short circuit the resistance in series with the voltmeter control.

My present invention hasfor its object to improve this class of device so as to provide more favorable charging conditions for the battery and also to prevent even the momentary over-runmng of the lamps.

In the accompanying drawing; Figure 1- is a diagrammatic view of an electric lightin plant embodying my improvements, an Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating a modification. Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views illustrating modifications.

a is the dynamo which is shown as self regulating as to variations in speed, 6 the connection with the other circuit 9'.

battery of accumulators, c, two banks oflamps, d the automatic regulator or rheostat, e the arm of the said rheostat, e the contacts thereof, 6 the electro-motor in operative connectionwith the said rheostatarm, e the relay for controlling the said motor, f the solenoid or volt-meter control in parallel with the lamps, f f 2 two contacts carried on a pivoted bar f operated By the solenoid f and spring f and operating inconjunction with two contacts f*, f respectively to control the'direction of current tothemotor e", g, g the resistances in the shunt field of the dynamo a, and h the trigger switch operated by the arm 6 for cutting in and out the said resistances. y 4

In carrying out my invention the aforementioned rheostat resistances 9 introduced in the shunt field of the generator are in the form of a seriesof graduate-d resistances extending completely or nearly completely around the rheostat and the trigger switch 71 is made use ofto break the shunt field circuit i, Fig. 1, in which these resistances are included. Or as shown in Fig. 2 the shunt. field may be divided into two circuits 7' and it in which event the resistances 9 may be in one circuit 7c and the switch it arranged in Or, 1 may employ two series of resistances for the two half circuits each having a switch at one end thereof. This arrangement is shown in Fig. 3 in which g, 9 represent the said resistances and h, 71 the trigger switches at the ends thereof.

To prevent even the momentaryover-running of the lamps I mount in series with the volt-meter control or solenoid f a series of graduated resistances Z in lieu of the'single value resistance heretofore employed, this series of resistances being so arranged in connection with the rheostat that as the arm e of the latter is rotated in the direction of movement of the hands of a clock the resistance Z is gradually increased. The result of this increasing resistance is that increasingly hi her voltages are required for causing the solenoid to effect the further movement of the rheostat arm e. With this arrangement it will be clear that as the voltage of the charging battery 1) increases, the resistance Z placed in series with the solenoid f is corres ondingly raised and the output in amperes ol the generator a is simultaneously and gradually and pro ortionately reduced until the battery I) is fu y charged when the field or fields y' and 7c is or are comdstely suppressed and the dynamo cut off by any convenient automatic cut out m. No further charging of the battery I) can take place until the latter is discharged by the switching-0n of the lamps, this causing the aforementioned resistance Zin series with the solcnoidf to be short circuited as described in the above mentioned former Specification. In the system shown the resistance Z is arranged to be short circuited when the rheostat arm a has moved as far as possible in a clockwise direction. by means of a contact segment a, and

7 not by the trigger switch as in the aforementioned specification.

In Fig. 1 the operation. is as follows :Assuming the'lamps c, c to be switched ofi and the battery 6, the charge of which is low, being charged by the dynamo a, the rheostat arm 6 being in its initlal or starting the resistances g in the shunt field ot the dynamo are therefore short circuited thus allowing the dynamo to give its full out-put, the current ilowing from the positive brush of the dynamo through the wires 1 and 2, the

switch It, the arm 6, the wire 3, the shunt field and the return wire 4 to the negative brush of the dynamo. The current also flows from the arm e through the Wire' 5 the solenoid f and the wire 6 to the wire 4. As

the voltage increases the pull on the core of the solenoid f also increases and moves the bar f so as to make contact between the contacts f and f so that current flows from the wire 1 through the wire,16, the wire 10, magnet 9 of the relay e the wire 8, the contacts f and f, the bar f, the wires 7 and 6 to the return wire 4, the magnet 9 being energized to attract the armature 11, carrying the contacts 12 and 13 which make contact with contacts 14 and 15 respectively, current then flowing from the wire 1 through. the wire 16, the wire 17, the switch 35, the contact 36, the wire 37, the contacts 14 and 12,

the wire 22 through the armature of the motor e, the wire 21, the contacts 13 and 15,

the wire 28, the field of the said motor, the

wire 24, the wire 6 and the return wire 4. The motor 6 is thus caused to move the rheostat arm e clockwise, thereby inserting more resistance in the field of the dynamo'a and in circuit with the solenoidf. 'lhis dou- I battery his action causes the dynamo output to be decreased and the solenoid to be restored to its state of equilibrium as shown, these conditions being maintained until the battery voltage again rises, operations similar to those above described taking place until the is fully charged at which time the output of the dynamo is reduced to predeteri'uined minimum or even to zero.

It will be seen in the above described operation oi the arm 6, that the resistances d are simultaneously gradually inserted so that in the event of the lamps e, 0 being switches 27, 27 the thus causing the, solenoid position,

eoasso switched on there is already the approxi mate amount of resistance required no the lamp circuit. The, current passerto the lamps from the battery or the dynamo through the wire 25 or 1 respectively, the wire 16, the resistance (2, the wire 26 and current returning to the battery throu h the wire 4 and the wire 28. When n the %amps are switched on (the dynamo charging the battery) the resistances Z are short circuited, the current passing from the wire 26 through the switches 27 and contacts 28, to the wire 5 by the wire 29,

f to be in equilibrium at the same voltage as the lamps. If this equilibrium is disturbed by the voltage rising or falling the solenoid causes the motor a to operate the rheostat arm e in such a direction as to reestablish equilibrium, thus maintaining the lamps at a constant and uniform voltage. When a fall in voltage takes place the motor a is operate the arm 6 in a direction opposite'to that above described, the pull on the core of the solenoid being relieved so that the spring f 0 moves the bar f to make contact between the contacts 3, f, whereupon current flows from the wires 1 or 25, the wire 16,

the wires 10 and 82, themagnet 31 of the relays, the wire 30, the contacts f and f the bar f, the wires 7 and 6 to return wire 4, the magnet 31 being energized, thus causing the armature 11 carrying contacts 12 and 13 to make contact withcontacts 33 and 34 respectively, current then flowing from the wires 1 or 25, through the Wire 16, the wire 17, the switch 18, the-contact 19, the wire 20, the contacts 34 and 13, the Wire 21, the armature of the motor e the wire 22, the contacts 12 and 38, the wire 23, the field of the said motor, the wire 24, the wire 6 and the return wire 4. As the battery voltage rises the resistances (Z are gradually inserted in series with the lamps and the resistance in the shunt field is simultaneously increased thus causing the dynamo output to be decreased. When the dynamo is not running, the lamps being on, the regulator is still operative and maintains the lamp voltage constant until the battery is discharged.

In Fi 2 the current flows through the shunt fie d from the wire 1 through the wire 89, rheostat arm e the resistances g, the wire 40, the shunt iield circuit 76, the shunt field circuit j, the wire'41, the switch 72/ and the wire 42 back to the return wire 4.

In Fig. 3 the current flows through the shunt field from ,the wire 1, through the wire 2, the switchjt the rheostat arm e, the resistances 9 the wire 3, the shunt field, the wire 43, the switch 71/, the arm e, theresistances g and the wire 44 to the return wire 4. The opening of the switch it may also be advantageously used to insert an additional reversed so as to poasso resistance in the lamp circuit where only a small number of the lamps are used independently of the others, the main resistance not being sufficient for the higher voltages such as are employed-for instance on rail way diner coaches. This arrangement is shown in Fig. 4,;0 being the additional resistance arranged in circuit with the said lamps which are indicated at c.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is i 1. In an electric lighting system, the combination with a lam circuit, a battery of accumulators, a set regulating variable speed dynamo, a rheostat having a movable arm, a series of resistances in the lamp circuit, adapted to be cut into and out ofthe lamp circuit by said arm, a motor for operating said rheostat arm, a voltmeter control device in parallel with the lamp circuit and operatively connected with said motor, of a series of resistances in the shunt field of the dynamo for preventing the overcharging of the battery and an auxiliary series of resistances in series with the voltmeter control device, a of said series of resistances being cut into and out of their respective circuits by the rheostat arm, substantially as described.

2. In an electric lighting system, the combination with a lamp circuit, a battery of accumulators and a charging dynamo, a rheostat having a movable arm, a series of resist ances in the lamp circuit having contacts, located in the path of said rheostat arm, a motor for operating said rheostat arm, a voltmeter control device in parallel with the lamp circuit and operatively connected with said motor, a series of resistances in series with said voltmeter controldevice, of a series of resistances in the shunt field of the dynamo for preventing the overcharging of the battery, said resistances having contacts within the path of said rheostat arm and parallel with the aforesaid contacts, substantially as described.

3. In an electric lightingsystem, the combination with a lamp circuit, a battery of accumulators and a charging dynamo, a rheo stat having a movable arm, a series of resistances in the lamp circuit having contacts, located in the path of said rheostat arm, a motor for operating said rheostat arm, a voltmeter control device in parallel with the lamp circuit and operatively connected with the said motor, of a series of resistances in the shunt field of the dynamo for preventing the overcharging ofthe battery, said resistances having contacts within the path of said rheostat arm and parallel with the aforesaid contacts, and a series of resistances in series with the voltmeter control device and provided with contacts located within the path of said rheostat arm and parallel with the aforesaid contacts, substantially as described.

4. In an electric lighting system, the combination with a lamp circuit, a battery of accumulators, a charging dynamo, a rheostat having a movable arm, a series of resistances 7Q in the lamp. circuit, adapted to be cut into and out of the lamp circuit by said arm, a motor for operating said rheostat arm, a voltmeter control devicein parallel with the lamp circuit and operatively connected with said motor, of a'series of resistances in the shunt field" of the dynamo for preventing the overcharging of'the, battery, an auxiliary series of resistances in series with the voltmeter control device, all of said series of 'reso sistanc'es being cut into and out of their re.- spective circuits by the rheostat arm, and means for cutting out all the resistances in series with. the voltmeter control device when the lamp circuit is closed, substantially as described. r

5. In an electric lighting system, the combinationof a'lamp circuit, a battery of accumulators, a charging dynamo, a rheostat having a movable arm, a series of resistances 'in' the lamp circuit adapted to be cut into and out of the lamp'circuit by said arm, a motor for operating said rheostatarm, a voltmeter.

control device in parallel with the lamp circuit and operatively connected with said motor, the said dynamo having a shunt field divided into twocircuits, aseries of resistances in one of said shunt field circuits,.adapted to be cut into and out of circuit by said rheorstat arm,-and a trigger switchin one of said shunt field circuits, operated by said rheostatarm to break saidcircuit, substantially as described.

6. In, an electric lighting s stem, the combination of a lamp circuit, a battery of accumulators, a charging dynamo, a rheostat-- having a movable arm, a series of resistances in the lamp circuit adapted to be cut into and out of the lamp circuit by said arm, a motor for operating said rheostat arm, a voltmeter control device in parallel with the lamp circuit and operatively connected with said motor, the saiddynamo having'a shunt Y field divided into two circuits,aser1es of resistances in each of said shunt field circuits adapted to be cut into and out of circuit by said rheostat arm and trigger switches n each shunt field circuit operated by said rheostat arm to break said circuits, substan tially as described. r

HENRY LEIT-NER.

Witnesses:

A. ALBUTT, MARY M. FREEMAN. 

